Indiana Word: ENDA not as important as buying wine

Seriously? This was the lead editorial from Indiana's largest LGBT newspaper? After scathing criticism for the Indiana Word's lack of coverage of ENDA and focus on the trivial, the newspaper responds like by saying that getting carded for a bottle of wine is worse than Hoosiers losing their jobs?

While a lot of the folks who lobby and work for our rights are running around fret- ting about gay marriage, California's nutty voters and whether or not the Employment Non-discrimination Act (ENDA) is a good or bad thing, we have a bigger fish we feel they need to fry -- protecting your, my and everybody's right of privacy.

That came home to me recently when I made the error of tossing a bottle of wine into my cart at the local Super Target here in Indianapolis.

...a smiling clerk quit smiling when she got to the wine I had in my cart and demanded my Indiana drivers' license to scan.

"Scan?" I said. "Oh yes, that's to verify your birthdate." I looked at her with the same look I likely gave my mum when I was two and had just pooped my training pants, but didn't want her to know.

Oh, but wait. It gets worse. Much worse.

Fleischaker goes on to bemoan that the cashier wanted to scan his ID card even though he's over 50. He goes down the usual government conspiracy road with a healthy dose of corporate espionage thrown in for good measure.

But how do you wrap up something that sensational and patently stupid? Why, Nazi's, of course.

So yes, a lot of folks have got their panties all in wads over ENDA and Californians' right (or not) to same sex marriage, but we feel the community (and citizens at large) need to revolt against the unfair and unnecessary collection of information and inva- sion of our privacy which results every day. If we don't, it's only going to be a small step to national identity cards or even armbands identifying us -- and come to think of it, wasn't that how Hitler and his hateful ilk killed so many Jews, gays, gypsies and others?

Think about it before you willingly hand over that ID and do what I'm going to do hereafter: shop at your local liquor store where the clerk (not team member) is smart enough to know I am well past 40 and don't need my ID checked.

Yes, the Jewish newspaper publisher thinks that getting carded at Target will lead to the eventual slaughter of millions of people. He thinks this is an apt and logical comparison.

It's no wonder Hoosier LGBT people are stuck in the morass that is Indiana organizing. Our state equality organization opposes the biggest piece of federal equality legislation just as four conservative Democrat Congressmen are deciding on whether to vote for it. But for our largest LGBT newspaper to compare getting carded for booze as worse than his fellow Hoosiers losing their jobs based on their gender identity or sexual orientation?

Leave a comment

We want to know your opinion on this issue! While arguing about an opinion or idea is encouraged, personal attacks will not be tolerated. Please be respectful of others.

The editorial team will delete a comment that is off-topic, abusive, exceptionally incoherent, includes a slur or is soliciting and/or advertising. Repeated violations of the policy will result in revocation of your user account. Please keep in mind that this is our online home; ill-mannered house guests will be shown the door.

While I do agree that the writer goes too far with his concerns, I also agree that privacy is as important an issue as ENDA. I want BOTH equal protection in employment, housing, etc... AND I want to be free to buy legal products without my purchases being tracked and the information stored.